Audi S5 Avant TFSI quattro 2025 Review

At launch in Australia, the overhauled line-up of new-generation Audi A5 and S5 lines comprises one A5 sedan, two S5 sedans and two S5 wagons (or Avants, as Audi likes to call them).

Essentially the merging of the old A4 sedan and A5 Sportback, the new A5 Sedan (which is actually a five-door hatch) has a 150kW/340Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol mild hybrid front-wheel-drive powertrain and is priced from $79,900 plus on-road costs (ORCs).

All the S5s are powered by a new 270kW/550Nm turbocharged and intercooled 3.0-litre V6 48-volt mild hybrid quattro (all-wheel-drive) powertrain.

Both Sedan and Avant are available for a few months as a limited edition called the ‘edition one’, priced at $99,900 plus ORCs for the Sedan and $102,900 plus ORCs for the Avant.

At the top of the tree are the regular S5s, the $114,900 plus ORCs Sedan and the $117,900 plus ORCs Avant, the latter of which we are testing here.

Such has been the SUV invasion, the S5 Avant has little competition in Australia. BMW still sells a 3 Series Touring and Genesis offers a G70 Shooting Brake, but Benz no longer has a wagon version of the C-class on sale locally.

This might seem a bit of an imbalanced line-up when you consider the ‘A’ models are the mainstream offerings and the ‘S’ models are traditionally their sportier spin-offs.

But there are two further A5 iterations on the way, one of them a plug-in hybrid and the other a four-cylinder petrol-turbo, and both will also be available as Avants as well as Sedans. Check out our separate story on them in the news section.

Standard Audi S5 Avant TFSI quattro exterior equipment includes aluminium styling touches, quad exhaust pipes, roof rails, 20-inch alloy wheels, red brake calipers and a power tailgate.

S5 interior equipment includes Nappa leather trim, heated front and rear outer seats and a heated steering wheel, front seat ventilation and massaging, ambient lighting that pulses across the dashboard when you activate a blinker and a powered steering column adjustment.

In terms of infotainment, S5 standard exclusives include a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system (four headrest speakers in the front seats add $980), a head-up display, an additional 10.9-inch digital screen for the front passenger and USB points with higher charging capability. Our test car also came with a $4990 glass roof with switchable transparency (great party trick).

Standard gear shared with cheaper models includes Matrix LED headlights, a new-generation 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen (with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), wireless smartphone charging, powered sports front seats and tri-zone climate control. The A5/S5 retains AM as well as FM and digital radio bands.

Safety systems included across the range include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, a 360-degree camera and eight airbags (but no centre-front airbag).

The S5 comes with tyre pressure monitoring but no spare tyre.

The Audi A5/S5 range is protected by a five-year unlimited km warranty and twelve years manufacturing warranty for bodywork against corrosion perforation. There is no separate warranty for the S5’s small 1.7kWh (gross) lithium iron phosphate high-voltage battery.

S5 servicing is scheduled every 12 months/15,000km. The capped price servicing program averages out at $708 for each of the first five workshop visits.

Roadside assist is available out to five years.

In rationalising the A4 and A5 into one model range Audi didn’t just take a superficial ‘she’ll be right’ approach.

The ‘B10’ A5 and S5 are the first models to ride on Audi’s new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), to which the S5 attaches a five-link front and rear sports suspension with adaptive dampers.

There’s also a new mild hybrid system called ‘Mild Hybrid Plus’.

It’s a 48-volt system that comes with two e-motors to aid the V6’s acceleration and energy regeneration. It actually allows brief periods of EV-only running.

The official claims are fuel consumption of 7.2L/100km and a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.5 seconds, which kinda captures the combination of frugal but fast Audi is going for here.

This is the first time the A5/S5 lineup has included an Avant and compared to the old A4 wagon, it’s 65mm longer at 4835mm with a 77mm longer wheelbase at 2902mm. At 1476mm, it’s also 43mm taller.

This flagship S5 Avant with the big engine, the quattro all-wheel drive and the most gear weighs in around 2.0 tonnes. But it all gels well. In that typical big-Audi way, the S5 really does a good job of providing comfort and control all in one package.

There’s really strong flat-out acceleration aided by plenty of quattro grip. We drove the S5 Avant on a miserably cold and wet day, yet it felt right at home and ready to cope with all the greasy challenges chucked at us. It’s very confident.

The hybrid system does its part smoothing out the rough spots and filling in any potential lag the V6 might generate at low speeds. The S5’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission can be relaxed or aggressive depending on the mode. Manual changes are operated via flappy paddles behind the ‘squircle’ steering wheel.

The chassis can be tuned through different suspension and electromechanical-assist steering settings and it’s been an Audi focus to ensure a switch from comfort into dynamic really does deliver noticeable differences. They’ve succeeded in doing that but without sacrificing the car’s essential cohesion.

The S5 allows you to combine your preferred settings in individual mode, something the A5 and edition one don’t do, and it helps if you like a more compliant ride with a sharper engine delivery. That was my sweet spot.

The S5 backs up the driving positives with a typically Audi sense of luxury in the front half of the cockpit. The trims, the seat comfort, the adjustability, the amount of storage options. All tick the box.

The all-new set of digital screens that stitch across the dashboard are an obvious sign of the upgraded new E3 electronic architecture that is incorporated into PPC. The passenger screen can even be set up in a privacy mode so the driver can’t see it. It can also play sound only through the optional passenger headrest speakers.

E3 is so advanced it can communicate potential hazards to other Audis equipped with the same architecture and functionality, utilising Vehicle-to-X (V2X) technology.

Another cool thing about the S5 is that sizable boot, which offers 448 litres of stowage (+28 litres on the old A4 Avant) with the rear seats up and 1396 litres with them folded. Even better, the wagon body just looks super sexy!

We’re picking at details here, but while the 2025 Audi S5 Avant is a truly capable cross-country bomber it is also every much cool and contained.

It sounds crazy to say it, but if anything this powertrain is a bit too civilised. A bit more obvious growl would just add that little bit of edge to the experience. I’d rather listen to the engine than the tyres, which can get a bit noisy on coarse-chip surfaces.

The fuel consumption number we saw out of the trip computer during our fast, hilly test drive was 13.2L/100km. So enthusiastic use produces enthusiastic consumption. Over a longer duration it decreased to 10.2L/100km.

Audi argues the MHEV system really pays off in town. We’ll advise when we get the chance to test that out.

The new digital displays are thorough and comprehensive but can also be a bit intimidating – there are heaps of apps displayed if you so choose.

When in comfort drive mode the instrument panel presented three different digital speedo variations at once, but no tachometer.

There’s also a group of controls including headlight and foglight switches on the driver’s armrest in what Audi calls a ‘smart panel’. I found them difficult to glance at and operate when driving.

And for all the good stuff the S5 Avant delivers in the front seat and the boot, it’s a little less whelming when it comes to the rear seat. For a start – and this applies up front as well – it’s just harder to get into for some people than the SUVs that rule the roost these days.

A big central transmission tunnel and a hard, high centre seat section severely compromises the middle-rear seat. Leg space is okay outboard, while headroom is better than the Sedan because the roof is extended. Door pockets are small, there are two string map pockets, climate controls, dual USB-C ports and a fold-down arm rest with dual cup holders.

Of course, the S5 costs so much money, sadly it’s a vehicle that’s actually irrelevant to most of us, but that’s ever the nature of the luxury car business.

There aren’t many wagons left on sale in Australia these days, so the 2025 Audi S5 Avant is in rarefied air.

Capable, comfortable, luxurious and stylish, it is undoubtedly a very well-executed vehicle. If you’re in the market for a mid-size premium SUV, the S5 is worth considering as a low-riding, better-handling, very up-to-date alternative.

Based on this experience, I’m glad Audi’s abandoned to go all-EV by 2033. It’s clearly still got something to offer in the ICE realm.

It’s expensive, of course, but the good news is that there are cheaper A5 Avant versions incoming. Maybe not quite as potently special as the S5, but we fancy they’ll still be worth checking out.

2025 Audi S5 Avant TFSI quattro at a glance:
Price: $117,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol mild hybrid
Output: 270kW/550Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 163g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: 5-star (ANCAP 2024)

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